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Update charter to address membership challenges #1350

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Mar 20, 2023
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Update charter to address membership challenges #1350

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Update charter to address membership challenges
Trott Mar 7, 2023
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fixup! Update charter to address membership challenges
Trott Mar 7, 2023
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fixup! fixup! Update charter to address membership challenges
Trott Mar 7, 2023
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fixup! fixup! fixup! Update charter to address membership challenges
Trott Mar 7, 2023
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110 changes: 47 additions & 63 deletions TSC-Charter.md
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Expand Up @@ -17,60 +17,48 @@ In the case of the Node.js project, it is delegated to the Node.js
Technical Steering Committee (“TSC”). OpenJS Foundation’s business
leadership is the Board of Directors (the “Board”).

This Technical Steering Committee Charter reflects a carefully
constructed balanced role for the TSC and the CPC in the governance of
the OpenJS Foundation. The charter amendment process is for the TSC to
propose changes using simple majority of the full TSC, the proposed
changes being subject to review and approval by the CPC. The CPC may
additionally make amendments to the TSC charter at any time, though the
CPC will not interfere with day-to-day discussions, votes or meetings
of the TSC.
This charter can only be amended with the approval of the CPC.

## Section 3. Establishment of the TSC

TSC members can be either _regular_ members or _voting_ members. Regular
members can attend meetings and participate in TSC discussions, but do not
vote. Voting members can do everything regular members can do, and also have
the ability to cast votes when consensus is not reached on an issue.
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eh, I'm really not all that convinced this is worthwhile, to be honest. Yes, I understand we've had some issues here but I think we need to do a better job of encouraging no-longer active TSC members to just not be TSC members anymore. I'm not going to block, however, if the majority of TSC members want this. Just consider my vote to be -0.

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I believe #1350 (comment) addresses this line of thinking.


TSC memberships are not time-limited. There is no maximum size of the TSC.
The size is expected to vary in order to ensure adequate coverage of important
areas of expertise, balanced with the ability to make decisions efficiently.
The TSC must have at least four members.
The TSC must have at least four voting members.

There is no specific set of requirements or qualifications for TSC
membership beyond these rules. The TSC may add additional members to the
TSC by a standard TSC motion. A TSC member may be removed from the
TSC by voluntary resignation, by a standard TSC motion, or in accordance to the
participation rules described below.

Changes to TSC membership should be posted in the agenda, and may be suggested
as any other agenda item.

No more than one-fourth of the TSC members may be affiliated with the
same employer. If removal or resignation of a TSC member, or a change of
employment by a TSC member, creates a situation where more than
one-fourth of the TSC membership shares an employer, then the situation
must be immediately remedied by the resignation or removal of one or more
TSC members affiliated with the over-represented employer(s).

The TSC may, at its discretion, invite any number of non-voting observers to
participate in the public portion of TSC discussions and meetings.
membership beyond these rules. The TSC may add additional voting members to the
TSC by a standard TSC motion. A TSC member can be removed from the
TSC by voluntary resignation or by a standard TSC motion. A standard TSC motion
can be used to change a regular TSC member to a voting TSC member, or to change
a voting TSC member to a regular TSC member.

No more than one-fourth of the TSC voting members may be affiliated with the
same employer. If change in TSC voting membership or a change of
employment by a TSC voting member creates a situation where more than
one-fourth of the TSC voting membership shares an employer, then the situation
must be immediately remedied by the removal of voting member status from one or
more TSC voting members affiliated with the over-represented employer(s).

The TSC shall meet regularly using tools that enable participation by the
community (e.g. weekly on a Google Hangout On Air, or through any other
appropriate means selected by the TSC). The meeting shall be directed by
the TSC Chairperson. Responsibility for directing individual meetings may be
delegated by the TSC Chairperson to any other TSC member. Minutes or an
delegated by the TSC Chairperson to any other TSC voting member. Minutes or an
appropriate recording shall be taken and made available to the community
through accessible public postings.

TSC members are expected to regularly participate in TSC activities.

A TSC member is automatically removed from the TSC if, during a 3-month period,
all of the following are true:
TSC voting members are expected to regularly participate in TSC activities.

* They attend fewer than 25% of the regularly scheduled meetings.
* They do not participate in any TSC votes.
A TSC voting member is automatically converted to a TSC regular member if
they do not participate in three consecutive TSC votes.

## Section 4. Responsibilities of the TSC

Subject to such policies as may be set by the CPC, the TSC is
Subject to such policies as may be set by the CPC, the TSC voting members are
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Not sure about this change, I think it would make sense if the TSC was responsible.

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I agree. Isn’t the process for any non-voting TSC member to become a voting TSC member to simply vote, or ask to become a voting member? So de facto the entire TSC is responsible for everything, because anyone can choose to “step forward” into voting status at any time. So we can just say “the TSC” for most things.

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Regular members can't vote: "Regular members can attend meetings and participate in TSC discussions, but do not vote.". The process to become a voting member for a regular member is outlined in the document: "A standard TSC motion can be used to change a regular TSC member to a voting TSC member, or to change a voting TSC member to a regular TSC member." And I think a standard TSC motion means lazy consensus over the whole TSC, and a vote (among the voting members) if no consensus can be reached? But if regular members are mostly inactive, does that mean we will be forced to move to a vote, or can we make a motion without the majority of the TSC participating?

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Is there a reason to require a motion for a non-voting member to become active again? I would think that we would want as low a bar (if any) as possible, so that no one feels any need to fight to stay as a voting member when they’ve missed votes and are automatically recategorized.

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With all the things tied to being a voting member (e.g. being an org admin), I’d say we do want a not too low bar.

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how about this clause instead of TSC motion for re-entry: A TSC regular member is automatically converted to a TSC voting member if they participate in three consecutive TSC meetings?

  • reasonable re-entry criteria that balances with exit criteria
  • meets TCS member's band-width / responsibility tradeoff
  • everyone knows the rules and easy to follow
  • scripts are easy to develop and run

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Note that this proposal doesn't take into account folks who might want to be TSC members without being voting members (but maybe no one wants that, I don't know).
Personally, I'm -1 on any automation that adds folks as org admin without at least a TSC motion. If we can come up with a proposal that dissociates "being a voting TSC member" and "being an org admin", I would love that but that seems easier said than done.

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@Trott Trott Mar 18, 2023 •
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IMO, it is too late to change the text on this PR. It has been approved by the CPC and previously approved by the TSC. It is already our charter. It just hasn't landed because a few other PRs need to land too to keep everything consistent.

If people want to change the charter further, that would be a new PR.

responsible for all technical development within the Node.js project,
including:

Expand All @@ -85,20 +73,20 @@ including:
* Mediating technical conflicts between Collaborators or Foundation
projects.

The TSC will define Node.js project’s release vehicles.
The TSC voting members will define Node.js project’s release vehicles.

## Section 5. Node.js Project Operations

The TSC will establish and maintain a development process for the Node.js
project. The development process will establish guidelines
The TSC voting members will establish and maintain a development process for the
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Same here

Node.js project. The development process will establish guidelines
for how the developers and community will operate. It will, for example,
establish appropriate timelines for TSC review (e.g. agenda items must be
published at least a certain number of hours in advance of a TSC
meeting).

The TSC and entire technical community will follow any processes as may
be specified by the OpenJS Foundation Board relating to the intake and license compliance
review of contributions, including the OpenJS Foundation IP Policy.
be specified by the OpenJS Foundation Board relating to the intake and license
compliance review of contributions, including the OpenJS Foundation IP Policy.

## Section 6. Elections

Expand All @@ -117,8 +105,8 @@ election is required if there is only one candidate and no objections to
the candidate's election. Elections shall be done within the projects by
the Collaborators active in the project.

The TSC will elect from amongst voting TSC members a TSC Chairperson to
work on building an agenda for TSC meetings and a OpenJS
The TSC voting members will elect from amongst voting TSC members a TSC
Chairperson to work on building an agenda for TSC meetings and a OpenJS
Cross Project Council (CPC) voting member to represent the TSC in
the OpenJS Foundation for a term of one year. The Chair and voting CPC
member may be (but are not required to be) the same person.
Expand All @@ -129,41 +117,37 @@ of terms a TSC Chairperson or voting CPC member may serve.
## Section 7. Voting

For internal project decisions, Collaborators shall operate under Lazy
Consensus. The TSC shall establish appropriate guidelines for
Consensus. The TSC voting members shall establish appropriate guidelines for
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Ditto

implementing Lazy Consensus (e.g. expected notification and review time
periods) within the development process.

The TSC follows a [Consensus Seeking][] decision making model. When an agenda
item has appeared to reach a consensus the moderator will ask "Does anyone
object?" as a final call for dissent from the consensus.

If an agenda item cannot reach a consensus a TSC member can call for
either a closing vote or a vote to table the issue to the next meeting.
The call for a vote must be seconded by a majority of the TSC or else the
discussion will continue.
The TSC voting members follow a [Consensus Seeking][] decision making model.
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Same here

When an agenda item has appeared to reach a consensus the moderator will ask
"Does anyone object?" as a final call for dissent from the consensus.

For all votes, a simple majority of all TSC members for, or against, the issue
wins. A TSC member may choose to participate in any vote through abstention.
For all votes, a simple majority of all TSC voting members for, or against, the
issue wins. A TSC voting member may choose to participate in any vote through
abstention.

All changes to this charter must be approved by the CPC.

## Section 8. Project Roles

The Node.js git repository is maintained by the TSC and
additional Collaborators who are added by the TSC on an ongoing basis.
additional Collaborators who are added by the TSC voting members on an ongoing
basis.

Individuals making significant and valuable contributions,
“Contributor(s)”, are made Collaborators and given commit-access to the
project. These individuals are identified by the TSC and their addition
as Collaborators is discussed during a TSC meeting. Modifications of the
contents of the git repository are made on a collaborative basis as defined in
the development process.
Individuals making significant and valuable contributions are made Collaborators
and given commit-access to the project. These individuals are identified by the
TSC and their addition as Collaborators is discussed during a TSC meeting.
Modifications of the contents of the git repository are made on a collaborative
basis as defined in the development process.

Collaborators may opt to elevate significant or controversial
modifications, or modifications that have not found consensus to the TSC
for discussion by assigning the `tsc-agenda` tag to a pull request or
issue. The TSC should serve as the final arbiter where required. The TSC
will maintain and publish a list of current Collaborators, as
issue. The TSC voting members should serve as the final arbiter where required.
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@aduh95 aduh95 Mar 17, 2023 •
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Suggested change
issue. The TSC voting members should serve as the final arbiter where required.
issue. A decision voted by the TSC should serve as the final arbiter where required.

Maybe we should introduce something called TSC voting team and replace most use of TSC voting members with TSC voting team. wdyt?

Suggested change
issue. The TSC voting members should serve as the final arbiter where required.
issue. The TSC voting team should serve as the final arbiter where required.

(another option is to stick with the previous version, which is still correct IIUC, albeit a little more vague)

The TSC will maintain and publish a list of current Collaborators, as
well as a development process guide for Collaborators and Contributors
looking to participate in the development effort.

Expand Down